A Cuban identified as Jessica vlog reported that her neighborhood has gone nine months without receiving water through the pipes, and the situation is unsustainable for many people who cannot carry buckets and jugs.
The young woman shared her testimony on Facebook and the video went viral with nearly 230 comments. "It's been nine months without water, just as you hear it. Nine months without any water in my neighborhood," the woman states.
Jessica acknowledges that her situation is less severe than that of her neighbors because she has her own well, but she empathizes with the elderly and sick individuals who lack the strength to carry buckets and bottles.
"There is a well in my house, and those who know me are aware that I help my neighbors a lot by providing them with water. I even share the hose and turn on the pump for those who are closer to me, but that’s only when there is electricity," he explains.
His final reflection encapsulates the mood of millions of Cubans: "Here, one does not live anymore; one only survives."
The water crisis in Cuba
In May 2026, the Cuban government acknowledged that almost three million Cubans were suffering from water shortages, with around 376,000 individuals affected solely in Havana.
Energy dependency is one of the most critical factors. In March 2026, the president of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) acknowledged that 87% of the water supply system is dependent on the National Electroenergetic System, which is subject to power outages of up to 20 hours a day.
Cubans have turned to digging improvised wells, storing rainwater in tanks, and purchasing water in a black market where prices are increasingly high and unaffordable for workers.
Reports on social media have multiplied throughout 2026. In July, a Cuban woman reported 12 days without water supply in Marianao. In San Miguel del Padrón, there were 70 days without service, and recently a mother was threatened with arrest after demanding water in Lawton.
Jessica's case, with nine months without piped water, is one of the most extreme documented publicly to date, although the crisis that caused it has been worsening for years without the regime offering solutions.
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